Entwine
by Aereal
Summary: Karigan is found near the D'Yer Wall, injured and unconscious. She returns to the castle, where much more is at stake than the life of one Green Rider. Will the King risk his marriage and his country for the woman he loves? And what surprise alliance will have Karigan's friends going into strange places to help her recover? A short story to explore what could happen!
1. Chapter 1

**Entwine**

**Chapter 1 – Finding Karigan**

Alton D'Yer walked along the wall, watching the first hints of sunrise that turned the clouds pink. He twined his fingers with Estral's and gave her hand a gentle squeeze, but she merely looked down at the ground. Alton wished he could make her smile again; since she had lost her voice it was like she had lost an integral part of herself. He reflected that for a minstrel it really was part of who she was. She hardly ate or slept any more, and her golden hair that she wore in a shiny braid down her back was as pale and lifeless as the rest of her.

Suddenly Estral looked up and her eyes widened. They were near the breach now, but she wasn't looking at that. She was looking into the forest. She pulled her hand out of his and ran forwards down a narrow path between the trees, stumbling once over a root as she ran. Alton hastened after her, wondering what had made her run like this. Suddenly she stopped in a small clearing and he saw what had pulled her forward, though what sense had alerted her was still mystifying to him. There was a person lying totally still in the middle of the clearing. They looked unconscious and their face as well as the tattered clothing was smeared with grime and blood. Shards of something reflective were scattered all around her, winking in the dim light that filtered through the canopy. Alton stepped forward and gasped. It was Karigan.

Alton started to take another step forward, but Estral held her hand up and glared, stopping him in his tracks. He looked at her confused, but she just gestured to the right. He turned and realised there was a second person there he hadn't seen before. A very tall person sat against a tree at the edge of the clearing, his beautiful features marred by scratches. His clothing was in equally bad condition, and his pale blonde hair was full of twigs and leaves. The eletian opened his blue eyes slowly and looked warily at the two of them gazing at him. When he seemed to ascertain they were not planning to attack him or Karigan, he spoke with a great effort. "Argenthyne… sleepers… mask", the melodic voice was so soft that Alton had to lean forward to hear him.

Alton moved closer and bowed slightly, sensing somehow not to make any sudden moves just yet . "I am Alton D'Yer, you have made it safely out of Blackveil. What of the others?" The eletian sat up slightly but closed his eyes again. "Grae… gone… Yates… died, possessed by Mornhavon… Ealdaen and Telagioth were alive. Lynx lives but your King's soldiers are dead…" his voice faded out and he slumped back exhausted against the tree trunk.

Estral gently sat by Karigan and took one of her hands, feeling for a pulse. "Cold but alive" she mouthed to Alton. He nodded his understanding. "See if you can clean up some of her cuts… I will go back to the camp and get help. We will have to carry her out… I will come back as soon as I can with a wagon. Don't move her too much."

Estral ignored the urge to roll her eyes. Honestly, did he think she wouldn't know that? She loved Alton, but he was still so… commanding sometimes. Maybe it came with being the next Lord D'Yer. She focussed all her attention on Karigan. She had so many wounds Estral didn't know where to begin, but a nasty looking gash on her thigh seemed to be a good place to start. Estral tore a strip off the end of her tunic, thanking the Gods that as minstrels generally had to be self-sufficient, she had some basic healing knowledge. She reasoned to herself that the eletian looked slightly less injured and that she would deal with him next; in any case she could only look after one of them at a time. Her best friend came first.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 – Improvements **

The music in the vaulted chamber was bright with sweeping melodies. Exactly the opposite of how he felt, Zachary thought dourly. He had a headache and sorely wished he could escape to his room. He glanced sideways at Estora who was smiling and tapping her foot in time to the music. At least if she wanted to leave she could claim some slight affliction, as women were sometimes wont to do. But he, the King, had to appear unfailingly strong and healthy, even though he still tired easily after recovering from his accident.

Estora had heard of the skills of this group of minstrels and had invited them to come all the way from Biordi to perform at the castle. To provide some entertainment, she had said. He was appreciative that she was trying to improve things, but at the moment he just felt uncharacteristically glum. He felt like somewhere he had made a grave mistake and since then his life had just gotten progressively worse, like one of those nightmares that had recurred occasionally since he was a boy. In the dream he was always lost in the tombs and not knowing why he was down there; and the further he ran down the dark tunnels in his dream the more lost he became. Of course, in real life he knew exactly what his mistake had been, but that didn't make it any easier. _She_ was gone, and what made it worse was that he had not tried hard enough to prevent her from going.

On the better days, he found himself getting along quite well with Estora, laughing with her at small things or impressed by her keen intelligence. By the looks she gave him he thought she was possibly on the way to being in love with him, but he refused to lie with her, keeping their bedchambers separate. His counsellors whispered occasionally in his ear that he needed to produce an heir fast, but he did not want to think of that yet. Thankfully, although Estora seemed to have found out his feelings for Karigan, she had neither mentioned it nor reproached him for it. He _had_ continued on with the marriage, after all, despite the fact that they had drugged him and consummated the marriage while he was unconscious. Wasn't that enough? He smiled at them all and hid his feelings behind his king's mask. Feelings were irrelevant. He had done what was best for Sacoridia, and would continue to do so. He would put _her_ out of his mind.

*^/*^/*^/*^

Zachary made an attempt to be more lively at dinner. Captain Mapstone had had a word to him that afternoon about not being discouraging towards Estora if he wanted this to work out. He had scowled at her but afterwards grudgingly admitted to himself she was right; luckily Laren knew his temper well enough to not be put off by it. He supposed he would be quite offended if anyone else dared to interfere in his private life like this, but Laren seemed to be quite good at getting Estora and himself to adapt to life together. The Captain was like an older sister to him after all; he trusted her implicitly.

And so over the broiled vegetables and duck stew, he forced himself to be more genial, complementing Estora on the food from their new head chef—who Estora had requested be brought over from her home in Coutre province—and on her support for the restoration work in the archives rooms. He hadn't thought her interested in historical matters but she appeared quite absorbed in some old documents relating to the long war, and the involvement of the Sea Kings.

When she told him of her latest project he simply looked amused. "A ball? _Another_ ball?" he exclaimed. "No, Zachary"—she sounded exasperated—"not another ball, the biggest ball your nobles have ever seen. My cousin Lilia has just returned from a trip to Rhovanny, and there is a new style of dancing over there which seems to be all the rage with the nobles. All the ladies in the court here are simply _dying_ to give it a go, and it would show that we are "up with the times", as they say. The King's court must be the foremost in the land, must it not? We can't wait for some _province_ beat us to it, now can we?" Zachary supposed that indeed they could not let that happen. He wished she would be just a little less exuberant though in her desire to "improve" things, and listened halfheartedly as she prattled on.

"It's called the Entwine. It is quite an open dance, similar to the Valetzian, but the gentleman and lady carry a sash between them. The dance begins in quite a straightforward way, but then proceeds with a series of promenades and spins, where the gentleman tries to capture the lady by entwining her with the sash. The lady attempts to elude capture by ducking under the sash or twisting away. If she manages to not become entangled within 3 minutes, she is triumphant, and may continue on to the next dance. If however the gentleman catches her, he wins the right to court her. I hear it caused quite an uproar in the Rhovan court, where the women are expected to be submissive, but of course us Sacoridian women are more used to the idea of staying in control." She smiled her dazzling smile and Zachary was momentarily stunned into silence.

"Submissiveness, huh. Not likely", he thought of the blonde beauty in front of him. He could only think of one person he wanted to catch… but before he could catch her he needed to find her. Not to mention the need to untangle himself from this increasingly knotted mess he had made for himself.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I know this story is moving along quite fast but there are important events coming so I have to hurry the characters along! **

**If you like this story please REVIEW!**

**Chapter 3 – Return **

The ride back to Sacor City was slow and painful. Karigan had first opened her eyes just after they had started along the road from the encampment. Dale moved closer with a gasp and said impulsively "Karigan! Thank the Gods you've woken up, we were so worried… what happened in there?" She bit her lip, wondering if that was the wrong thing to ask just now. Karigan looked confused for a moment, asking "where am I?" Dale cursed herself silently. Of course she was disoriented, poor thing. "Alton and Estral found you unconscious in the forest, near the Wall, with Lhean. We are taking you back to Sacor City so the healers there can help you." Karigan looked discomfited for a moment, but still slightly bemused. "I remember… mask… and then… blackness… stars… stone… but the arrows came… must have been a dream."

Trace rode at the front of the wagon with Fergal, updating Connly on their progress at regular intervals so he could report to the Captain. As far as Trace knew, the Captain had kept Karigan's discovery a secret for a few days, until they had ascertained the extent of her injuries. Now that they were on the move, Mapstone had alerted the King and the menders, and the castle would be ready for their arrival. The loss of a few Riders from the wall was unfortunate in their scheme of watching the towers, but it would only be for a short time, as replacement Riders were heading out from the castle immediately.

As they made their way down the bumpy road Dale could hear Trace above her joking with Fergal, their voices were hushed so they wouldn't disturb Karigan. Dale held Karigan's hand more tightly as she drifted in and out of consciousness; but then as Karigan began to wake a little more she began a stream of swearwords at every bump in the road. Dale was torn between amusement and concern at her discomfit; she could hear Fergal chuckling quietly up ahead and resisted the urge to tell him off. Eventually she gave Karigan a gentle sleeping draught just to get them all a little peace. Alongside the wagon were Karigan's horse Condor and Dale's Plover; Condor seemed in high spirits now that his mistress had returned, and trotted briskly along, swishing his tail and nipping occasionally at Plover's mane.

Although they were going quite slowly for Karigan's sake, she knew Garth was riding ahead to take the news officially to the Captain and the King, so she was not too worried. Dale's thoughts went back to when they left the wall. Alton had wanted to come with the party to the castle, but the eletian—whose name was Lhean—had surprised them by suddenly saying "No, Alton D'Yer, there will be trouble coming to the wall. You would do well to remain at the encampment and support your Lord's men." Alton was startled and hoped he would expand on this, but no amount of questioning could get the lofty eletian to say anything further.

As they came closer to the castle, Karigan began to mutter strange things in her sleep. Dale thought she must remember to ask Karigan about it when she awoke. Poor Karigan, she had been through so much, seen more adventure and danger in a few years than most would in a lifetime. More than most Green Riders, even. She muttered something about a ball and masks, which made Dale smile, remembering Karigan's embarrassment at being nicknamed Queen Odacious. Then a minute later she began to toss and turn, getting more and more agitated. "No, Yates, no, don't—I tried to stop him—I couldn't see…" but eventually her voice faded, and she sighed "blind… unattainable… I didn't know…I'm sorry…" Dale put her hand to Karigan's cheek and found it wet with tears.

As the wagon came through the castle gates, Dale put her head out and was startled to see a large crowd gathered near the steps of the castle. Even the King stood on the top step, surrounded by half a dozen of his Weapons; she even thought she caught a glimpse of one of the Weapons smiling. She was slightly surprised at this reception; although Karigan had done so much for the kingdom, with her role in defeating Prince Amilton, not to mention rescuing Estora, she thought many of Karigan's exploits were unknown outside the Green Riders. But she guessed on reflection that word would spread quickly of someone returning from Blackveil, and that in itself would create great interest. She could hear Captain Mapstone's sharp voice ordering everyone to stay back, and the wagon continued on through the courtyard to the mending wing. A couple of menders arrived with a stretcher; Dale held Karigan's hand while they lifted her onto it as carefully as they could. She squeezed her hand once more and then Karigan was borne away through the door.

*^/*^/*^/*^

"Welcome home Riders" Captain Mapstone said, hugged each of them in turn. "Fergal, Trace—go and clean up, we will talk later". They dashed off looking relieved, with Fergal muttering something about his rumbling stomach and travelling rations. Laren smiled. She always felt joy at seeing her Riders come back in, alive and uninjured, and savoured their zest for life. It was almost as if they instinctively lived for the moment, knowing how dangerous their next mission could be. Karigan was another thing altogether. "Captain, I would like to stay with Karigan", Dale requested. Laren thought she looked exhausted, and she was holding her right arm strangely as if her shoulder discomfited her. Laren shook her head gently. "Let's have a brief talk, and then you should go and get some rest, or at least have a bath and get your shoulder seen to. Karigan is in good hands." Dale nodded her agreement and they made their way to Laren's office, talking about the news from the Wall.

Laren grew serious as she sat and motioned to Dale to shut the door. "How is she?" Dale took a moment to consider before answering. "I think she's quite shaken by whatever happened in there. She is upset about Yate's death, obviously, and I think she blames whatever happened on herself. It seems that Mornhavon had something to do with it, but she wouldn't talk about it. Lhean was vague about it too, but that seems to be just because he's so—well, eletian. She kept talking about being trapped inside stone walls but would then dismiss it as not real. There is a strange look in her eyes, a darkness. I can't describe it, I felt it before she went into Blackveil but it's stronger now. Also," Dale paused again, "I wouldn't mention Alton to her just at the moment. I think she feels betrayed because he's now with Estral, her best friend—she's upset enough as it is".

Laren listened to Dale's account of the details of their journey, and took some notes on Karigan's apparent injuries, and then sighed. She was glad it was Dale who had been with Karigan on the journey; she was just the right mixture of playfulness and compassion, without being jarring like Fergal or some of the younger Riders could be. She thanked the Rider, noticing that she looked exhausted just describing the trip. Evidently she hadn't had much rest, preferring to watch over Karigan, and she looked relieved at the prospect of a bath and a long sleep.

As the door closed behind Dale, Laren's face fell and she dropped her head into her hands, leaning on her cluttered desk. She felt guilt tear at her like a knife. She loved Karigan almost like a daughter, and had always been overjoyed to see her return safely from a mission. Without a doubt Karigan was their best Rider—she seemed to handle extraordinary situations with ease and had enough courage and pluck for a dozen riders. But somehow she had got into the King's affections, and that was where Laren's problems lay. Laren was unsure whether Karigan loved the King in return, but her return could be problematic.

It was a blow to learn about Alton and Estral—Laren had hoped she might turn Karigan's affections in Alton's direction, but no matter. She didn't regret burning Zachary's letters; on the contrary she was quite pleased with how well Estora and he were getting along, with a few judicious prods in the right direction. Granted, he didn't exactly seem ecstatic, but at least she had prevented some wild romantic scheme of his from tearing the country apart.

Now that Karigan was back, Laren hoped that her moonling's marriage would be enough to subdue whatever they had felt for each other. She sighed, getting up to stretch her stiff joints. She loved her country and her King, and always would serve him dutifully. She just wished to the Gods that doing her duty would not cause the people she loved so much pain.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you to all those who reviewed! I hate to sound clichéd, but reviews make me happy! So… please review if you like it! Or even if you don't!**

**Chapter 4 - Mending**

Zachary paced backwards and forwards in his study. His advisors had left for the day, leaving his mind free to wander. Unfortunately, his feet went with it, thought Fastion wryly, standing not in his usual dark alcove but in front of the King's desk. He swore he could nearly see the path trodden into the floor by the King's agitation. He knew what troubled the King; Fastion had spent long enough protecting Zachary to recognise every emotion that showed in his face. It was Karigan, and Zachary's guilt, fear and heartbreak that drove him to pace like this. Guilt, for not stopping her from going on the Blackveil expedition and for upholding the marriage to Estora. Fear, for Karigan and what she had been through, and for what she might think of him once she learned of his current situation. Heartbreak, because his wish for her to return to him had been answered, but there was now no chance of her ever being able to return his love.

Zachary paused in his pacing not far from his new Chief Weapon and turned to address him. "Tell me Fastion, what can I do?" Fastion felt his gut wrench at the anguish in the King's voice. He chose his words carefully, as always. "You need to pause and consider your situation, Sire. She will obviously find out about your marriage; that may change any feelings she had for you. You need to be particularly cautious about not being seen to favour her in any way. That being said, and perhaps the only upside of your dilemma, is that it's much more acceptable for a married King, than an unmarried one, to visit a certain patient, if he wished to."

Fastion had barely finished his sentence when Zachary was out the door, his cloak whirling behind him. Fastion hastened after his King. Well, at least if the man was impetuous he was still listening to his advice.

*^/*^/*^/*^

Mara sat in Karigan's room in the mending wing, staring at the closed door, through which only moments ago the King himself had departed. What in the name of all the Gods was going on? Mara was thrilled Karigan was back, as were all the Riders. Mara in particular though had spent so long in the mending wing herself, and received so many visits from Karigan, she relished the chance to return the favour and came and sat with her as often as she could.

Karigan had been back for a week now, and the menders were cautiously positive about her recovery. She had had so many different injuries, some from objects with powerful dark magic, but gradually she was healing. Karigan still refused to say much about what had happened in Blackveil, apart from what she had said to the King and Captain Mapstone a few days after her return, when the menders deemed her well enough to relive her ordeal. The Captain had confided in Mara that she was certain Karigan had heavily edited some parts of it, particularly regarding the eletian sleepers.

The next day after that Lynx had arrived back at the castle. He was exhausted and severely dehydrated, which said much for someone of his talents. Mara and Captain Mapstone gathered the Riders together, as Lynx said that Yates should be remembered by his fellow Riders for the true hero he was. Although he only knew his own story of the expedition, his blunt recounting of what had happened shocked everyone. His voice cracked as he traced their journey, through the deadly forest and the deaths of their travelling companions along the way, and finally Yates' final moments on the Wanda Plains. The newer Riders in particular were amazed by the stories of the eletians, not to mention being transported through the layers of the world, and Mara was slightly amused to see a couple of them looking quite faint at the mention of all the deadly Blackveil-spawned creatures.

The plain white walls of the mending wing and the intrigues of the castle seemed worlds away from the dark forest of Lynx's tale. Mara looked with amusement at Karigan, whose eyes were closed. "Kari, I know you're only pretending to sleep. Would you mind telling me why in the name of the First Rider the King has just visited you for the second time in a week, after you have already given your official report? He never visited me even once." She smiled as she said it to make sure Karigan knew she wasn't insulted. Just… curious. The King had arrived, spoken only a few words to Karigan, and left again, looking agitated.

Karigan sighed. "I don't know Mara" she mumbled, "perhaps it's a new policy". Mara rolled her eyes. As if she would believe that. Karigan was never much of a talker, but she had seemed happy to see her friends again, and had even poured out her woes to Mara about Alton and Estral. She sounded relieved to have someone to talk to. But then Mara had filled her in on what she knew about the King's marriage, what gossip she had heard about the consummation, and the latest juicy bits about Estora's rumoured infertility. Mara had said it to help cheer Karigan up because she knew Estora was a friend of hers and thought Karigan would be happy for them. But instead Karigan had gone white and shut up like a clam, leaving Mara perplexed. And now the King was visiting. Well, only twice, and admittedly he had hardly said anything at all. She sighed. If Karigan was anything, she was a enigma, and it seemed the mysteries surrounding her just kept multiplying.

*^/*^/*^/*^

Queen Estora sat in her chamber, looking down at the paper in her hands. It was from the official report of the Blackveil expedition. In horrifyingly detached language it detailed what was known about the expedition. This particular page dealt with the forester Ard, and what was known about his intentions to kill Karigan. When Zachary had come to this page of the report in the Council meeting, he had glared furiously at her for a moment; he looked like he was about to let his famous temper get the better of him, but he composed himself and continued. He still wasn't yet really speaking to her again, but at least she understood since she now knew his feelings for Karigan. He, at least in his words, knew that it was not really her fault, according to what was written in the report:

_Section 12(a)ii) Queen Estora had no knowledge of the aforementioned intentions of Richmont Spane or the forester Ard, until the Blackveil expedition was already well underway, and had no part in the contriving or planning of the intended murder_.

Nevertheless this represented to her all the tumult of feelings that roiled inside her. Karigan had been her friend, and Estora's actions in marrying Zachary had not only prevented Karigan from being with the man who loved her, but had nearly got Karigan killed. Karigan—the Rider who carried F'ryan's last message to her and who comforted her while she grieved for him. But yet, she was content being Queen and although she was happy Karigan was alive, a part of her wished that she could have died an inescapable death as a hero in Blackveil. Or at least, a small voice whispered, she wished that Zachary would only have eyes for her, Estora. Now that Karigan was back, she worried that all her hard work with the King may come undone. She took a deep breath, stiffening in her resolve. She could not afford to get emotional; Zachary may not fully realise it yet but he needed her. And besides, she wore the crown now. There was not much that could undo that, now that she was Zachary's wife.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 – Preparation**

**A nod here to LadyDarkStar for her "Dancing Weapons" story… I think it helped inspire me somehow! Forgive me if this plot seems a little unlikely but… why not! Anything is possible around Karigan **

**Thanks to Britt for being my beta and putting up with my general craziness!**

**And thank you to everyone who reviewed so far… for the last chapter that was Brina440 and Guest.**

**No sign of Estora in this Chapter though… sorry folks!**

**Enjoy!**

The day Karigan left the mending wing dawned bright and clear. Mara and Tegan who were on their way to visit Karigan after finishing breakfast, practically skipped down the corridor in their excitement. Karigan had been officially invited to the ball. Or rather, "forced to go, why do they punish me like this", as she groaned to Mara. As soon as they knew Karigan would be allowed to return to Rider quarters, Mara and Tegan had begun their preparations, and in return Karigan had begged them to attend the ball with her, to which they had gleefully agreed.

Mara privately thought the way Karigan carried on it made the ball sound worse than a Blackveil-spawned monster; she started to giggle as she imagined a huge hairy monster dancing in a lacy dress, but quickly stopped at the sight of Karigan's frown. "All that dancing" moaned Karigan, "it must be a new form of torture, and you both know how much I detest dressing up in some ridiculous outfit! I feel like…" she trailed off, her scowl finishing her sentence eloquently. Mara and Tegan tried their best to keep straight faces. Any mention of Queen Oddacious had been strictly forbidden by Karigan.

Tegan tried her best to reassure Karigan as she fell despondently into her favourite comfy chair in the Green Rider common room, near the fire. "Garth and I have been practicing some dances lately… he's quite good actually and he, well I'm sure he'd be happy to teach you too. He said we had better practice because on our wedding day we'll need to know them". A low whistle from the other side of the room made Tegan blush brilliantly. "Way to go Tegan!" crowed Fergal, "I didn't know he'd popped the question!" Karigan looked at Tegan surprised, and she ducked her head in affirmation, looking embarrassed but happy. "We've been seeing each other for months, and he just asked me last week. I wanted to write home to my mother before I told you guys but… seems I've let the horse out of the stables".

However despite Tegan's recommendations, Karigan refused to practice with Garth, or any of them, in the common room or indeed anywhere else. Even though they assured her no one else needed to know, the mere thought of someone walking in on them made her look like she was going to be sick. Mara was quite at her wits end. They had visited a dressmaker in Sacor City and Karigan had ordered a plain enough dress with a lovely embroidered bodice (somehow it was green, but Karigan seemed to be fine with that). But how in the hells was that going to help if Karigan turned to stone and couldn't dance in it? Mara had begun to suspect that Karigan was especially worried about appearing clumsy in front of a certain _someone_, and by now she even had a good idea who that someone was. But since he was guaranteed to be there (and with a good view of the room too), she hadn't the faintest idea how to reassure Karigan on that point.

*^/*^/*^/*^

An unlikely accomplice appeared in Mara's doorway the next day. She was reading over Oliver and Fern's report from the latest delivery run when the sight of a large hulking shape made her look up. "Drent!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing in here?" The usually taciturn arms-master frowned. "I heard you were assisting G'ladheon with her recovery. I just came to offer—to see if you needed—heard it wasn't—might be able to help" he mumbled. Mara just looked sceptical. Drent seemed to relax a fraction. "I heard the last ball didn't go very well for her" he said, by way of explanation. "I know you will have your work cut out for you; she hates dancing, not to mention gadding about in fancy clothes. And a bit of footwork would be just the thing to help her recovery and ease her back into her regular workouts. And… she needs to keep her mind off, uh, other things, perhaps." At this, Mara's eyebrow on the good side of her face shot upwards in surprise. She didn't think Drent ever considered anything except swords and gruelling training bouts. It sounded like he had a bit of a soft spot for Karigan. Duh, like the other weapons with the Bonewood staff before she went into Blackveil, she thought to herself. The Weapons never ceased to amaze her.

She looked sternly at Drent and nodded. "Alright, sounds like a plan. But what do you know about dancing?" Drent grinned uncharacteristically. "More than you care to find out, young lady". Mara was startled but secretly pleased with their new ally. Even Garth only had basic knowledge of the court dances—it wasn't exactly part of the standard Rider training. But how in the five hells did Drent know everything he knew?

*^/*^/*^/*^

Drent proved as good as his word, as soon as they managed to coax Karigan out to the practice fields, under the pretence of orders from Drent to start training again. She was still moving stiffly and her wrist needed rest—"all the more reason to practice your footwork, girl!" Drent growled at her. Mara and Tegan grinned at each other—having seen the softer side of Drent he seemed to them more like a big puppy dog, all bark and no bite. When Karigan tried to protest, Drent handed her a wooden practice sword and announced they were going to start their footwork drills with a sword _dance_. Karigan looked so surprised that her protests died on her lips. Drent threw the other two girls practice swords as well and told them to "make yourselves useful". Mara smiled to see Donal and Willis stop their training on the adjacent field and come to join in.

Soon they had mastered the sword dance—with surprisingly few swear words from Karigan—and moved on to some of the more intricate set dances. Mara and Tegan were enjoying it immensely, and Drent had a twinkle in his eye.

Karigan was surprised to find that she could master the difficult footwork quite well, if she concentrated hard. Somehow she felt that holding a sword helped, although if she got frustrated she couldn't exactly take it out on her partner at the ball! She could see Mara giggling as she looped around Willis, and felt pleased that she had finally been able to live up to her friends efforts to assist her. As the sun was nearing the top of the sky, Drent finally told them they could call it a day, and the girls trooped inside for lunch.

*^/*^/*^/*^

On the way past the Rider wing, one of the newer Rider recruits came running up to Karigan. "Rider G'ladheon, Sir, this letter came for you this morning" he managed, panting. Karigan rolled her eyes at his form of address and glanced at the handwriting. "Thank you Carson… it's from my father, I wonder what he wants." They continued on their way to the mess hall, laughing about Karigan's training with the dancing Weapons. Karigan fell into a seat in between Tegan and Mara, wiping her streaming eyes. She hadn't had this much fun since… she couldn't remember when. Karigan opened the letter from her father and scanned it, her smile slowly turning into a frown. He was coming to the castle not just to visit her, but for the ball of all things! And he was bringing someone he wanted her to meet, a Master Cade Penburn, distant cousin to the young Lord-Governor Hendry Penburn. She knew her father was thinking mainly of expanding his influence from their province of L'Petrie, into neighbouring Penburn province.

Karigan blushed as she remembered the time she met the then newly-appointed Lord Hendry Penburn, causing Tegan to raise her eyebrows quizzically. She quickly distracted Tegan by reading that part of the letter out aloud, now scowling in disbelief. "As long as he's not like Braymer Coyle, that was a complete waste of time" Karigan said, her grimace deepening.

She couldn't believe the marriage-arranging efforts of her father and aunts had progressed to a member of the nobility, which they all generally detested. With the exception of—no, she couldn't think of the only two noblemen she had ever liked. "Well" ventured Tegan, somehow reading her thoughts "at least you won't be thinking too much about—ow!" she stopped abruptly as Mara kicked her under the table. Karigan glared at the two of them and busied herself with eating her lunch, her face now the colour of a ripe tomato. She didn't know how they knew, but if they did, the least they could do was stay quiet.

*^/*^/*^/*^

In Karigan's final training session with Drent (accompanied still by Mara and Tegan who by now took it almost as seriously as she did), the arms-master suddenly turned to the Weapons beside him and said "Willis?" The Weapon smiled slightly and with a flourish drew a long black sash from within his sleeve. "The dance you will definitely need to know for the ball is a new Rhovan dance, called the Entwine." Willis showed them some fancy footwork which seemed to consist mainly of spins and twirling movements, as the man and lady moved around each other, at the same time as they moved around an imaginary circle on the floor. Soon they were all practicing it with a partner and a sash, Tegan blushing furiously as Willis "entwined" her with a grin.

"Well", panted Karigan finally, as she dodged Donal's sash for the umpteenth time, "if that was all there was to a battle then Weapons would not have too hard a time, really." Donal stopped and fixed her with his serious look. He replied in a deep voice, "All Weapons except Tomb Weapons are required to learn every possible dance and be familiar with the expected movements. Any person who puts a single step out of place is suspicious and may indeed be an assassin." It was true, Karigan reflected; the King was particularly vulnerable at any public occasion, and particularly at a ball, where the motion within the room was chaotic and the intentions of some guests may be unknown. Why, there was an assassination attempt at the last ball she went to. She shook herself out of that train of thought—she didn't want to think about Queen Oddacious, or about _him_. But Tegan giggled next to her and said "well, what if your next assassin is an excellent dancer?" But Mara just groaned. "I am extremely glad for these exceptional dancing lessons, but any more of it and I might die of sore feet!" Even the Weapons smiled at this, and they made their way back towards the castle joking about dancing assassins and fatal footwork.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 – The Ball**

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**A/N: This is the last chapter of this fic! Hope you all enjoyed it, thanks to everyone who reviewed and please still write reviews after reading this chapter! **

**Acknowledgements go to Navigator101 for the suggestion of the "entwine" dance, apparently from the book Entwined by Heather Dixon. Thanks to Britt for being a fabulous Beta =) **

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The day of the ball came all too soon, and Mara was so preoccupied with getting Karigan ready she even forgot to complain about her sore feet. Karigan's new dress had arrived in a fancy box, delivered to the castle along with some nice comfortable satin slippers that tied in a neat bow around the ankle. Karigan was thankful that her friends had the foresight to help her order a dress she liked; Mara seemed determined that Karigan could be both comfy and fashionable. She unwrapped it and they admired the lovely embroidery on the bodice; glittering green and silver gems were sewn into the overlapping pattern of leaves and flowers. The green velvet dipped downwards at the front of the waistline, and the sleeves were of a flowing fabric in the same green, and gathered at the wrist. Arcs of the silver gems trailed down the length of the full skirt; Karigan twirled in it, secretly quite delighted, while the others admired the shimmering effect. At one shoulder a tiny silver owl was even hidden amongst the leafy design. Mara and Tegan had matching greenish-blue gauzy dresses, which they had bought for the occasion. Karigan said nervously that they would probably look like a forest, being all in shades of green, and they all laughed. Tegan grinned, putting an arm around the other two to draw them into a hug. "Well at least if you freeze and decide you can't dance, you can pretend you've transformed into a tree!" Mara nearly stuck the broach she was trying to fasten into Karigan's ear, she was laughing so hard.

Just as they were putting the last pins into Karigan's hair, there was a knock at the door and Garth appeared. His mouth dropped open and he blushed a deep red, seeming unable to say anything for a few seconds. He finally managed to stammer out "Tegan, you—you look amazing… and… Karigan, Mara, you too…" The girls grinned at each other and Tegan ran up to him to kiss him lightly. "Thank you Sir", she said playfully. Garth wasn't used to seeing his fellow Riders dressed up for a ball and looking glamorous. He thought his Tegan looked stunning, but also had to admire Mara with her dark curly hair falling around her shoulders, and Karigan with her dress hugging her muscular curves. They had flowers woven into their hair and he was reminded of the beautiful forest nymphs from the old stories they heard as children. He kissed Tegan more passionately but she pulled away and smiled at him quizzically. He shook himself slightly and remembered why he was there.

"Karigan, one of the green foot runners came to say your father is on his way from the stables, and will be here shortly." He decided he better take his leave, shaking his head as he went out the door again. He knew Karigan didn't think much of herself in a dress, but as her best friend's fiancée, he thought he probably shouldn't tell her right now that she looked incomparable; although he would always prefer Tegan's laughing brown eyes, he knew some fancied the attractiveness of Karigan's glossy chestnut tresses, expressive eyes and glowing smile even over the showy blond beauty of Queen Estora.

Mara turned to face Karigan, who was now a delicate shade of green that nearly matched her dress. "Oh Karigan" she murmured, putting her arm around her shoulders comfortingly. "You're ready for this, you can handle it. And we'll be right there behind you." Karigan smiled shakily. "I don't know if I'm more scared of my father's expectations or the actual ball", she admitted. Tegan piped up. "Well if this Penburn fellow turns out to be too forward, you could always scare him off by throwing a slipper at him." Karigan and her two friends burst out laughing, remembering again her disastrous date with Master Coyle, which turned into a hilarious encounter with the Raven Mask. Well, it hadn't seemed hilarious at the time, just embarrassing and plain frustrating, but it seemed so silly after everything else she had been through, that she just had to laugh. Besides, it had prompted her to undertake more serious training with Drent, and to learn how to fight in a dress too; she knew if she was in the same situation again she would win. All the same though, she had forced Tegan to let her wear a looser corset to this ball. Just in case.

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Karigan gripped Mara's hand tightly behind her as Neff's voice rang out across the ballroom. "Rider Sir Karigan G'ladheon!" the herald announced. Karigan gulped and looked across the crowded ballroom, where hundreds of bejewelled nobles milled around. A good many of them were now staring straight at her. She thought they looked surprised, and she began to wonder hysterically what exactly she had done wrong. Her eyes moved further to the far side of the room, where Zachary sat on the dais next to Estora. She froze. It was as if time itself was standing still. She could feel his eyes burning into her; his intense gaze gave her goosebumps. Always it was this way between them—the aching intensity and then the awful distance. She hadn't seen him since those two brief visits in the mending wing. Estora was magnificent next to Zachary, her golden hair cascading around her and the tiara on her head sparkling with gems. She looked radiantly happy but for some reason the smile did not reach her eyes. Karigan gulped again, her mouth dry. She shouldn't be here, she couldn't do this.

Tegan felt Karigan stiffen with fear. She cursed inwardly. "Breathe!" she hissed in Karigan's ear, and she saw her shoulders slowly rise and fall again, and judged that Karigan had relaxed a fraction. "Good girl. Now walk" she commanded. Karigan's head jerked up and she obeyed, managing to make her way down the stairs without stumbling. Tegan and Mara smiled at each other conspiratorially, and then at Willis who they could see standing behind a column near the foot of the staircase.

"Karigan!" called a jovial voice, and Stevic G'ladheon strode into view, with an older deeply tanned man beside him and a younger man following behind. He held her by the shoulders to examine her approvingly for a moment before drawing her into a crushing hug. "Kari" he murmured, "you look stunning. So much like your mother". "Thank you father but… I can't breathe" replied Karigan in a muffled voice, causing everyone else to chuckle. He released her, looking apologetic, and turned to gesture to the young man behind him. "Karigan, I want you to meet Master Cade Penburn, heir to the eastern Penburn estates. Master Penburn, my daughter Karigan G'ladheon."

Cade Penburn stepped forward and bowed formally. She returned it with a traditional merchant clan bow, her fist to her chest. He was tall and lean, with broad shoulders. His black hair was combed neatly and just a few strands escaped to frame his tanned face. His light brown eyes seemed alight with laughter as he caught up her hand and kissed it, never looking away from her face. "Exceptionally pleased to make your acquaintance" he said, now grinning roguishly. "I have heard a great deal about the legendary Karigan G'ladheon"—Karigan winced, remembering that his cousin Lord Hendry Penburn had known of her now infamous ride to Darden dressed in only her nightgown (although the more salacious gossip had her riding in the nude). He paused for a second while she tried to compose herself, then added ,"but none of what I've heard has done justice to your extraordinary beauty." Karigan's mouth fell open and she again was momentarily speechless. His smile grew softer. "I most certainly will claim your hand for a dance, Lady Karigan, but for now you look in need of some fresh air. Will you take a walk with me on the balcony?" Karigan managed to nod once. He offered his arm and together they made their way outside, passing Donal who seemed to smile at Karigan without moving a muscle.

Mara and Tegan grinned at each other. So far so good, although their protégée had yet to survive the dance floor before they could relax. They were startled to find Karigan's father still standing in front of them. "And I gather one of you is the notorious Tegan?" he rumbled. Tegan looked like her eyebrows were going to fly off her face in surprise. "I heard about the famous Green Rider trickster from your Captain… do you think you can explain a few of your secrets to me, they certainly would liven up our longer wagon journeys!" And the four of them strolled off towards the refreshment table, with Stevic and Sevano chortling occasionally as Tegan spoke animatedly of her funniest pranks.

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The night air was cool outside, as Cade and Karigan strolled towards the far end of the balcony. She leaned against the railing and gazed up at the stars twinkling high above them. A gentle breeze pushed a stray wisp of hair across her face, and he resisted the urge to brush it back. She truly was amazing, he thought, glancing at her. Beautiful, yes, but he could sense her strength of spirit, and yet her fear; she was courageous and yet humble. "Easy son", he could hear his father's voice growl in his head. "Don't overdo it, lad".

Karigan looked intently up at the stars. She wasn't really particularly interested in the night sky, but it was easier than facing Cade Penburn, who was watching her intensely. Unexpectedly she found her heart began racing when he looked at her like that.

"Karigan", he said softly, and she turned around to face him. "I know this must be hard, with expectations from your father, and so much happening to you lately. But do you think you can give me a chance to get to know you? I mean the real Karigan, not just the famous Green Rider or the daughter of a merchant, who happens to hate nobility in general." He grinned at her and she found herself grinning back as she nodded. Well, perhaps this would be more enjoyable than she had thought.

"What is it that you do, Master Penburn?" she asked innocently, knowing most nobles would not have much of an answer to that question. He met her gaze quite seriously. "Actually, I have been overseeing one of my uncle's large estates in the east of Penburn province. I like to get in there and help the labourers, understand everything that makes it work. Before that, I spent a few years in the provincial militia." Well, that would explain his well-muscled arms and chest, and his no-nonsense attitude. She found herself liking him more and more. "And now?" she asked, her breath catching as he looked at her intensely. "I have come to the castle to commence training as a Black Shield." She broke out into peals of laughter, clutching his arm to steady herself. "Gods," she choked out, "did you tell my father that part?"

He chuckled. "Well I may have been selective in what I said about my future career interests, but"—he broke off to gaze at her seriously again. "He only wants you to be happy, Karigan. And I'm beginning to suspect that if I can make _you_ happy, I will be the happiest man in the world." He smiled at her lightly, but his eyes remained thoughtful. Then he brightened. "Come Lady G'ladheon, 'tis time for a dance!" And he dragged her, not unwillingly, onto the edge of the dance floor.

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King Zachary watched with a frown as Master Penburn led Karigan easily though the dance. The dancers were doing the Entwine, which had turned out to be very popular. Karigan had laughed with carefree delight as her partner produced a long green sash out of nowhere, and continued to giggle as she danced lightly around him, twisting out of his reach. Zachary saw the young man pause and draw his eyebrows together. He knew how it felt, like chasing a butterfly. His Karigan was always out of reach, flitting away from him in the wind. He wished somehow that he could blame her for not coming back to him, for not staying to fill his life with her radiant presence, but he could not. It was their circumstances—he was king and she a merchant's daughter; he had chosen to maintain his arranged marriage rather than risk a disturbance to the kingdom. They would both continue on, and perhaps each would learn to love another. If he trod carefully, perhaps she would regard him as a friend and be counted amongst his trusted advisors.

He rubbed his chin roughly with his hand, rousing himself from his reverie. Karigan and her partner had progressed to the far side of the floor now, and he just caught a glimpse through the thronging dancers as the young man whirled suddenly; Karigan ducked away from the sash yet again, and they both laughed merrily. Zachary look over at Estora, who smiled at him. To his surprise, he found himself reaching over to take her hand; from the expression on her face she was as shocked as he was, then slowly her smile grew. He gave a tentative smile in return, and they both turned back to watch the dancers, their fingers still entwined between them.

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Karigan laughed as she twirled and danced her way out of each attempt he made to ensnare her. She had never enjoyed herself like this at a ball before, and his dry wit and evident admiration lifted her spirits until she was happier than she could remember being for a long time.

The other dancers formed a multi-coloured swirl around them. Again and again he feinted, dodged and turned, but her practice with the Weapons had done wonders for her already fast footwork, and each time she escaped. Finally a faint frown crossed his face, his shoulders sagged a fraction, making her own smile falter. She wondered if perhaps she was being discourteous by continually proving herself faster and smarter than him. For a fraction of a second she even hoped she wasn't bringing shame upon her clan. Just as the last strains of the dance drifted from the musicians he quickly threw the sash up and around her shoulders. He had caught her.

She smiled at him, bemused, both of them still breathing hard from the lively dance. Her heart hammered loudly in her chest as he continued to gazed at her; she felt as if his eyes looked deep inside her and laid her bare. He smiled slowly and leaned forward to whisper in her ear. "You are Entwined, my enchanting Karigan. I hope it would not be such a bad thing if I was to take this chance to formally court you?" Her eyes grew wide. "No", she replied softly. "I think that would not be such a bad thing after all."

**THE END!**

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**A/N – I hope no one objects toooo much to me using the name Cade. I did steal it off KB's snippets but then I stole everything else as well, so… it all belongs to our favourite author!**

**I hope I haven't offended too many K/Z fans out there, but seeing as I am one of the biggest of them all, don't worry! My other fic is majorly K/Z so plenty of that still to come… I just couldn't see it working in this scenario. Bye for now!**


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